What is Alam-e-Barzakh or simply Barzakh?

Alam means world and Barzakh means separation or barrier. So, Alam-e-Barzakh is a world of separation, or a barrier to something. It is a world that separates the physical plane (Earth) that we know and the relatively unknown, the spiritual plane.

This plane of spirituality is also called the afterlife, the next life, the hereafter and the next world. So, Alam-e-Barzakh is an area where the souls that rest in human bodies on the physical plane go towards Barzakh when the human body breathes its last. The soul then leaves the body.

Barzakh is essentially a resting place for souls until the day of judgement, or the day of resurrection or Qayamat. When will Qayamat come? Only god knows.

New souls enter Barzakh as the same consciousness as they were in a physical body. The soul that leaves the body after death or inteqaal is the same person or consciousness, but the only difference is that this person does not have a body now. This thinking person now finds himself in a new world or realm immediately after death and is very surprised by everything.

This new person, who was in an ageing body or any kind of body five minutes back, now finds himself without a body five minutes after death. Actually, it’s seconds after death that the same person realises that he has left the body and can now see his own lifeless body lying at home, in the hospital or anywhere else.

He is so surprised by this transformation, that he is left confused and disoriented. He has no idea what to do. But gradually other things start happening and understanding begins to dawn on him that something major has happened and that, maybe, he has died and really left his body. Then the realisation also comes to him that now he cannot go back inside his body and that he has to go someplace else.

This ‘some place else’ is Alam-e-Barzakh, the barrier between the physical plane and the soul world.

All human souls that leave Earth arrive in Barzakh for their new orientation and training. They now begin to learn the ways of the soul and the rules and recommendations to be followed.

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Journey of the soul

As the soul continues on its journey in Barzakh, it learns new things, expands its consciousness and then with every set of new lessons learned, the soul ascends and rises higher to a new level, that is above its current level.

Learning and soul transformation in Alam-e-Barzakh raises the vibration and frequency of the soul. The soul is then taken to the next higher level of transformation that matches its current vibration and frequency. It is completely up to the soul and its wish to grow forward, move upward and rise higher and higher, expanding its consciousness.

We have talked about what the soul can do once it reaches Barzakh. But what will the new soul find in Barzakh? The soul will get to meet all those friends, family and relatives who had departed before him or her on Earth. They will be there and share their love, compassion and understanding with him.

What the soul finds

Every soul that lands in Alam-e-Barzakh will find things reaching out to him from all directions. These things will be in different shapes and sizes - some pleasant to look at, while others looking unpleasant and ugly, even horrible.

What would these ‘things’ in so many forms be actually? These multiple forms whose looks will either fill your heart with happiness or fill it with fear will in reality be your aamaal.

They will be your positive and negative deeds, actions and thoughts that you had on the Earth plane. As a soul in a physical body, you thought and did so many good and not-so-good things in your life. They will all come back to haunt your spirit or uplift it in the afterlife in a physical form.

Your aamaal and Barzakh

What becomes important here is your aamaal, your deeds and actions that you performed as a human being on Earth, the physical plane.

You do so much, put in so much effort into building your successful life here on Earth. You are seeking to build a great life for yourself daily, aren’t you? Right from morning to evening, or even late at night, many of you are sacrificing so much to build your dream and make it concrete and visible.

What if I say that as you go about your life every day, every hour in following your dream, you are also doing one more thing simultaneously. You may ask, “What thing?” My reply, “You are building your Barzakh daily.”

Yes. In the seen and known world, your actions and thoughts are building a world that you wish to live in. But, what you are also doing at the same time is building a world for yourself in the unseen and unknown (to you) — the world of Alam-e-Barzakh.

On the Earth, you are building your world consciously. You seek tirelessly to get everything that you wish for here, but you are not really sure what you will get and what will remain unreachable for you.

But silently and unconsciously, brick by brick, your own personal Barzakh is getting created in the next world, the afterlife, by you. Even more important, you will receive and get everything in Barzakh exactly what you created yourself here on Earth.

Importance of ‘small’ things

Small things that you and I may consider unimportant here on Earth become big and important, even crucial in Alam-e-Barzakh.

Here are two ‘small things’ that we don’t pay much attention to on Earth, but they result in you and me either experiencing ‘cool or pleasant air’ or ‘a blast of hot fiery air’ that can burn our skin in Barzakh.

First thing —> Backbiting (gheebat, chugli karna or gossiping)

Backbiting is what you and I do when we discuss someone we know - who also knows us - in a critical way when he or she is not present in front of us. We may think we are speaking the truth about the person, but many times we may be indulging in false and hurtful statements about that person.

This small action on our part is considered a major sin in Islam, haraam and categorised as ‘Gunah-e-Kabeera’.

Interestingly, backbiting has become so common in our society that most of us don’t even consider it as any kind of ‘gunah’ or sin. We just think of it as normal conversation and remain critical or make false statements about some person easily and smoothly. We don’t even feel guilty about this act of ours.

But what happens when that person ‘X’ who is the topic of my backbiting conversation with you, he/she comes to know that Raza was talking ‘this and that’ about him/her?

Let me tell you what happens as a result of my ‘gheebat’ or backbiting.

• That person X now feels bad, angry and hurt that Raza spoke such a thing about him or her, which is obviously wrong. He keeps thinking, “I never did what Raza was saying; I never said what Raza was saying I said and I never meant anything like that which Raza talked about. It’s all wrong.”

This person X may also be so surprised that Raza spoke like this at all about him or her. Moreover, the relationship of X with Raza is close to being over now, as it becomes a strained relationship that has stains of hurt and betrayal. It is no longer a happy and clean relationship now. All this happens on the physical plane on Earth.

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What happens later on the spiritual plane or Alam-e-Barzakh or the afterlife as a result of this backbiting on my part?

When I land as a soul in Barzakh, after my time on Earth is over, then I am shown a book of my ‘aamaal’ by higher beings. This is a book that has documented in detail all my deeds, actions and thoughts that I had when I existed in human form on Earth.

There I am shown pages and pages of each day of my life, containing details of my deeds and actions. I am then shown a page of a day when I was backbiting about the same person X. I am surprised by this, but now I am also shocked by something else that I see happening on the page. I see that any good deed that I did on that day, or some other day’s good deed of mine, is getting deleted from my ‘aamaal diary’ and getting transferred to the ‘aamaal diary’ of person X.

Yes, this is what I will actually see. My ‘gheebat’ of person X will ultimately be beneficial to that person X in Alam-e-Barzakh. In return, I will lose my good deeds and the level of my bank of savings of good deeds and ‘aamaal’ will get depleted. I can do nothing and feel so much regret that I did ‘gheebat’ and backbiting at all on Earth, in the physical plane.

So, this was all about backbiting of a person who knows us and we know that person. We could not keep quiet, when we had nothing good to say about that person X and we lost so much in the afterlife or the next world, as a result.

But there is also such a thing called ‘jaayaz gheebat’ or permissible backbiting.

In this, I criticise or say things about ‘Taasubi’ people who harbour preconceived opinions and have racial/religious/social prejudice. If I talk behind the back of such a person or people and call them out for their known negative attitude, then this is ‘jaayaz gheebat’.

Also, if I talk behind the back of a person who is ‘Naasebi’ or harbours known hatred or enmity towards the family or followers of Prophet Mohammad, then this too will come under the category of ‘jaayaz gheebat’.

Now, any ‘najaayaz gheebat’ that is not permissible in Islam, will result in me suffering blasts of hot, fiery air in Alam-e-Barzakh that can burn my skin there. Though I won’t have any physical body there as a soul, but the sensation will be the same, as if I had skin on my body.

Second thing —> A positive ‘small thing’

Now what is something positive that you and I can do which may be considered small on Earth, but mean something big in Barzakh?

You can pray for good health, peace and prosperity in the life of 1–2 people daily. Who will be those 1–2 people you can pray for?

— Some relative (rishtedaar) of yours who you know is facing some trouble or challenge in life

— Someone in your friend circle

— Someone you are acquainted with

If you can pray for their health and prosperity and if ilaahi maslahat (God’s will) is there that their personal trouble or challenge gets solved, then this act of yours is happily noted in your ‘aamaal diary’. This ‘aamaal diary’ in Barzakh will note this act of yours as a good deed or ‘achcha aamaal’ on the day.

There is no limitation of religion or caste, or even if the person you want to help is a non-believer or atheist. You can pray for any person who you know needs help.

After all, Allah is rehman and raheem (merciful and compassionate) for all aalameen (all His creations), not just for muslimeen (all Muslims).

I hope you have now got an idea that as you build your life here daily, at the same time, your daily thoughts and actions are building the life you will experience in Alam-e-Barzakh one day.

Hope you get to see lots of good ‘aamaal’ in your Barzakh diary that day.

Ameen.

Jis duniya mein aaj aap aur main reh rahe hain, aapko kya lagta hai, bas wahi ek duniya hai? Koi aur duniya hai hi nahin?

Matlab aap apni personal zindagi mein itne masroof (busy) ho gaye hain ki is duniya ke siwaay koi aur duniya aapko samajh hi nahin aati, ya kahein to samajhna hi nahin chaahte? Shayad ye sab fizool ki baatein lagti hain aapko?

Ya ho sakta hai ki aap ka aqeeda (faith) hai ki ek doosri duniya bhi hai, jahan ham sabko jaana hai inteqaal ke baad.

Ab chaahein aap sochein ki koi doosri duniya hai ya nahi, jo sach hai wo toh badalne wala nahi.

Sach kya hai?

Sach ye hai ki jab bhi aapki jaan-pehchaan mein, azeezo mein, gharaane-khandaan mein agar koi inteqaal farma jaata hai, toh yaad kariye aap kya-kya kehte hain us waqt us shaqs ke wujood (existence) ke baare mein.

Wo shaqs jiska kucch hi lamho pehle inteqaal hua hai, uske baare mein aap kehte hain:

• “wo hamein chhodkar chale gaye”

• “wo ab nahi rahe”

• “wo chal basey”

• “unhone khuda hafiz keh diya”

Ye sab ham kab kehte hain?

Tab kehte hain jab us shaqs ka jism abhi hamare saamne rakha hua hai. Us jism ko abhi kabrastan ya karbala nahi le gaye hain. Matlab jism aankhon ke saamne hai, saanse band hain aur aankhein band hain. Ab sabke zehen mein sirf ek baat daud rahi hai ki saamne jo jism hai, ab saansein toh hai nahi ismein aur na hi is jism mein wo shaqs hai, jo paanch minute pehle ttha.

Ab bas jitni jaldi is body (jism) ko karbala ya kabrastan le jaakar ghusl diya jaaye (nehlaya jaaye) aur supurde khaak (kabr mein) kiya jaaye, wahi behtar hai.

Ye soch toh sahi hai. Bhai, mad’di jism hai (physical body) hai, jo kucch hi ghhanto mein tajzeeh (decompose) karne lagti hai. Isliye zyada time na lagate hue us jism ko uske aakhiri tthaharne ki jagah, ya soney ki jagah par lita diya jaaye, wahi behtar hai.

Bilkul theek.

Lekin ab main ye jaan na chahunga ki jab yahi jism inteqaal ke baad sabke saamne hai, bistar par, masahri par ya kisi aur cheez par, toh phir aap kyu keh rahe hain:

• wo hamein chhodkar chale gaye

• wo ab nahi rahe

• wo chal basey

• unhone khuda hafiz keh diya

Bhai, saamne toh hain wo. Jism aapko dikhai de raha hai, lekin phir bhi aap yahi keh rahe hain ki wo chaley gaye. Aap bahut dukhi ho rahe hain, sadme mein hain, stress mein hain ki ‘wo’ chale gaye, jabki ‘wo’ ya kam se kam unka jism to saamne hai aapke. Phir bhi ab aapko sukoon nahi hai, chain nahi hai, bahut bechaini hai ki ‘wo’ ab aapse door chale gaye.

Yaani ab ‘wo’ us kamre mein nahi hain inteqaal ke baad, jabki unka jism aapke saamne abhi bhi hai.

Ye jo bebasi aur aankhon se aansoo ab aapke nikal rahe hain, iska matlab kya hai aakhir?

Iska ab sirf ek matlab ho sakta hai, ki aapko ehsaas ho gaya hai, ki saamne jo jism hai, usmein kucch ttha, jo ab us jism mein nahi hai.

Is ‘kuchh’ ka naam jo aapko bachpan se bataya gaya hai — iska naam hai ‘rooh’ (spirit, soul).

Jaise-jaise aap bade hote gaye, is rooh ke baare mein aapko aur pata chalta gaya and is rooh ki baatein yaqeen mein tabdeel (transform) hoti gayi aapke zehen mein. Ab aapko yaqeen hai ki agar kisi ka inteqaal ho gaya hai, to us shaqs (mard ya aurat, male ya female) ki rooh uska jism chhodkar chali gayi hai.

Yahi yaqeen aapko tab bhi hai jab aap saamne ek shaqs ki mayyat (body, jism) dekh rahe hain, usmein saansein nahin hai, toh aap jaante hain ki is jism mein ab ek aur cheez nahin hai, wo hai us shaqs ki rooh.

Chaliye, yahan tak ek baat bilkul waaze (clear) ho gayi, ki rooh hoti hai jism mein to insaan zinda mana jaata hai, rooh nahi hoti hai jism mein, to insaan nahi hai us jism mein, ye maana jaata hai.

Theek hai. Ab main ye jaan na chahunga ki aap ye kyu keh rahe tthe ki —

• “wo hamein chhodkar chale gaye” — Kaha chale gaye chhodkar?

• “wo ab nahi rahe” — Matlab ki ab nahi rahe jism mein jo saamne hai, toh wahan se kahan gaye?

• “wo chal basey” — Matlab, wo kahin aur chaley gaye and kahin aur bas gaye?

• “unhone khuda hafiz keh diya” — Matlab asl mein toh shayad wo nahi keh paaye, lekin wo chaley gaye toh khuda hafiz hai ye?

Toh ab ek aur baat wazey hui ki rooh jo insaan ke jism mein thi wo nikal kar kahin chali gayi. Yaani rooh nikli us jism se, to asl mein wo insaan bhi nikla us jism se.

Ab yahi rooh kya is duniya mein hai jismein aap aur ham ji rahe hain, yaani is prithvi par, is planet par, ya ab is duniya se hi chali gayi — ye sochne wali baat hai.

Waise zyada sochne ki zarurat bhi nahin hai. Kyu? Kyunki wahi rooh jab jism mein hoti hai to aapse baat kar sakti hai, lekin jism se nikalne ke baad, wo seedhe taur par aapse baat ab nahi kar sakti.

Matlab is duniya ke qayde aur nizaam (system) se wo baahar aa gayi hai aur kisi alag jagah pahunch gayi hai. Ya yu kahein ki ab wo doosri duniya mein pahuch gayi hai.

Us dusri duniya ka shayad pehla kanoon ya dastoor ye hai ki rooh ab chaah kar bhi seedha apne chaahne walon se baatcheet nahin kar sakti.

Unko dekh zarur sakti hai, lekin yahi rooh ab apni maujudgi ka ehsaas seedhe taur par saamne khade ya baithe apne chaahnewalon ko nahi de sakti. Ye ek aisa rule hai roohani duniya mein ki sab rooho ko palan karna padta hai.

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Yahan ab do baatein ho chali hain. Pehli baat, insaan ko ehsaas hai, ya keh sakte hain yaqeen hai ki inteqaal ke baad rooh kisi doosri duniya mein chali gayi hai. Doosri baat, usi rooh ko jism chhodne ke baad ye ehsaas hone lagta hai ki ab wo kisi aur jagah, kisi doosri duniya mein pahuch gayi hai.

Doosri duniya ya roohani duniya mein zyadatar insaano ka yaqeen hai. Wo islye kyunki har insaan, jo koi bhi mazhab (religion) ka maan ne wala hai, uska mazhab roohani wujood (existence of soul) ki baat kar raha hai. Aur kareeban har mazhab keh raha hai apne maan ne walon se ki tumhara chaahne wala inteqaal ke baad tumhari aankhon se door zaroor ho gaya hai, lekin phir bhi wo tumhein dekh sakta hai.

Isse bhi badi baat is masle par har mazhab keh raha hai ki insaan is duniya mein rehte hue, dusri duniya mein maujood apne chaahne wale ki rooh ko kai cheezein bhej sakta hai.

Wo tohfe bhej sakta hai, jo us rooh ke liye bahut faydemand honge, jo us rooh ko bahut pasand aayenge.

Har mazhab mein rooh ki shaanti aur uske chain ke liye kai deeni rasmein aur ibadaat (religious rituals) kiye jaate hain. Yaani har mazhab seedhe taur par kucch keh raha hai apne maan ne walo ko. Kya keh raha hai?

Mazhab keh raha hai apne maan ne waley se ki, “Tu apne chaahne waley ke inteqaal se itna bebas, itna na ummeed na ho, kyunki ab tumhara chaahnewala ek rooh ke taur par jee raha hai, uska wujood hai. Bas tumhe dikhayi nahi de raha, na tumse seedhe taur par is duniya mein baat kar pa raha.”

Matlab ye hai ki mazhab yahi samjha raha hai us gham se bhare khandaan, gharaane ya gharwaalo ko ki unka chaahne wala, uska wujood khatam nahi hua hai. Wo hai, bilkul hai, 100 percent hai, bas ab rooh ke taur par hai. Yaani jiska inteqaal hua hai, asl mein uska sirf transfer hua hai, is duniya se doosri duniya mein, to woh bilkul zinda hai aur uske transfer (inteqaal) se itna zyada ghamzada (sad) hone ki zarurat nahi.

Ab Islam mein hi le lijiye, jahan inteqaal hue shaqs ke liye kaha ja raha hai, ki uske liye quran khaani karo, uske liye tamaam tarah ki duaein padho aur us jaane waale shaqs ko baksho ya bhejo ye sab cheezein.

Ye sab quran ki duaein aur khaane par kiya gaya fateha, sab rooh ko milta hai, uski apni giza (jisse rooh ko taazgi miley, nourishment miley) us soorat aur shaql mein.

Wo rooh bahut khush hoti hai jab yahi sab duaein uske saamne aati hain uske chaahne waley ki taraf se. Isse uski kucch pareshaniyan kam hoti hai aur usko kucch sukoon milta hai ki mere chaahne walon ne mujhe yaad kiya, mere liye kucch bhej diya.

Ab yahi rooh us roohani duniya mein apne banane wale Khuda se dua karti hai ki, “Jis-jis ne mere liye kucch bheja is roohani duniya mein apni maad’di duniya (physical plane, earth) se, usko bhi wahi khushi miley jo aaj mujhe mil rahi hai, wahi chain aur sukoon miley, jo mujhe mila hai.”

Yahan tak baat ho gayi mazhabi yaqeen (religious faith) kee ki ‘haan’ ek doosri duniya hai, jisey roohani duniya kaha jaata hai.

Ab main agar aapse poochhoo ki kya aapne apne se is roohani duniya ka kabhi ehsaas kiya hai, ki aakhir wo hoti kaisi hai? Toh aapka kya jawab hoga?

Agar aap mein se kisi ne jawab diya ki, “Nahi, maine kisi roohani duniya ka ehsaas nahi kiya hai aur na hi kabhi mujhe uski jhalak mili hai,” to main aapse kucch kehna chahunga maazrat (apology) ke saath. Main ye kahunga ki, “Aap jhoot bol rahe hain. Jaanboojh kar nahi, na samjhi hi sahi, lekin aap jhooth bol rahe hain ki aapko doosri duniya ki kabhi jhalak tak nahi mili.”

Meri is baat se thhodi hairat mein padh sakte hain, lekin agar main kahoo ki roohani duniya ki jhalak aapko roz milti hai, toh aap kya kahenge?

Jee haan, aap roz roohon ki duniya mein safar karte hain, bas baat ye hai ki aapko yaad nahi rehti ye baat.

Matlab main baat kar raha hoo khwabon ki (dreams ki), jo har raat aap mein se kareeban har shaqs dekhta hai, ya kucch log khwaab din mein bhi dekh lete hain.

Khwaab wo darwaaze hain jo har raat roohani duniya mein khulte hain.

Ab ye alag baat hai ki zyaadatar logon ko koi khwaab yaad nahi rehta neend se utthne par, ya masoomiyat mein ye bhi keh dete hain, “Main khwaab dekhta hi nahi”.

Lekin maine khwabon ki baat yahan arz hee kyu ki? Iske peechhe wajah hai. Kya wajah?

Baat ho chuki hai ki inteqaal ke baad rooh ke wujood mein aapka chaahnewala aapse seedhe taur par baat nahi kar sakta, kyunki roohani duniya ke apne qayde qanoon hain. Lekin rooh ke paas abhi bhi ek darwaza aisa hai, jiske andar jaakar wo aapse mukhatib ho sakta hai, baat kar sakta hai, ya sirf apne aapko dikha sakta hai, agar wo baat abhi nahi karna chaahta.

Iski ek haaliya misaal (recent example) hai mere walid sahab, jinka picchle mahine inteqaal hua hai April 6, 2025 ko. Mere walid Janab Syed Gulam Hasnain Naqvi ibne (son of) Janab Syed Mohammad Salman Naqvi apne inteqaal ke baad se chaar logon ke khwaab mein ab tak aa chuke hain. Iske baare mein maine article likha hai, jo agar aapne abhi nahi padha ya suna hai, toh padh ya sun sakte hain.

Kehne ka maqsad ye hai ki doosri duniya ka ehsaas aur yaqeen aapka jitna pukhta (strong) hoga, utni hee aasani hogi rooh ko aapse raabta (contact) qayam karne mein.

Ye ehsaas qayam rakhiye aur apne chaahnewaley ki rooh ko aapki zindagi mein phir se aane ka ek mauqa dijiye.

Ever since the inteqaal of my father on April 6, 2025, there are moments when some memory flashes in front of my eyes and I clench my fist. For a few seconds, there is a burst of anger inside me and then it subsides gradually.

I am now getting into the habit of reminding myself to repeat “Relax, it’s maslahat” whenever a strong negative emotion begins to cloud my brain.

My father, Janab Syed Gulam Hasnain Naqvi ibne (son of) Janab Syed Mohammad Salman Naqvi was a person of strong character. He was always positive-minded and ready to motivate and encourage anyone if he thought his words would help. He would always motivate me to do well in whatever work I chose to do.

While working professionally, I would change jobs and join some other company or organisation that, I thought, would work for me. Daddy wasn’t happy that I kept changing jobs. Then I joined a company which was fairly well known. I worked there for a few years, then I decided to leave. I told my father about my decision, he stopped me from resigning. Second time, I again told him I wanted to leave, he once more explained things to me and stopped me from resigning. Then the third time came and I resigned without telling daddy. He got disturbed and explained things to me yet again.

I didn’t listen. He went to my office, met my boss in the company, asking him to stop me from resigning. Boss said I wouldn’t listen to him. Finally, daddy wrote a letter to me, sharing his feelings about me leaving a good job. He called me and gave that letter to me. I read it and stayed with my decision. He must have felt quite hurt about it, but what could he do, when the son is adamant, may be, even obstinate and won’t listen to him?

Whenever I remember this incident, I just shake my head now quietly and say to myself, “Maybe, it was maslahat.”

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This year, while undergoing treatment in two hospitals in March 2025 where he was hospitalised and admitted, I have another reason to get angry with myself and fill myself with regret. That reason was my inability to question the decision of the doctors to let my father remain in ICU for 10 days combined in both hospitals.

I understand now that the only reason that was important at that time in his state of health was ‘dialysis’ as his creatinine level had gone up to a high level of 6.8. Doctors insisted on urgent dialysis or the possibility of daddy going on ventilator support, where they wouldn’t be able to do anything much.

I discussed this with daddy, who was admitted to the ICU a day before with the primary complaint of heavy breathing while walking just a few steps. Daddy had no option but to nod his head lightly after thinking for a minute or two. I discussed it at home with my brother and mother. Finally, we gave the go-ahead and the first dialysis of his life was done on my father on March 13, 2025. He then underwent eight dialyses, with the last dialysis being done on April 4, 2025, two days before his inteqaal. I prefer to use this word, rather than the negative and heavy sounding word ‘death’ for a valid reason. I have talked about this reason in my Hindi article ‘Khwabon Mein Mili Haunsle Ki Khushbu’

Now, the anger and regret on my side is that after the first dialysis was done, why didn’t I request the doctor to shift him to a private room. This way I could have been in front of him and with him, so he wouldn’t have felt alone.

After all, the only treatment that was going on for daddy was administering medicines via IV that was connected to the dialysis line on his neck. He didn’t have any blood pressure problems or anything else that required 24/7 monitoring. At least, this is my thinking. Yes, his heart was weak and a pacemaker was also installed. Yet, I still feel that his treatment could have been done satisfactorily in a private room by the nurses. Maximum time of 24 hours, I feel was sufficient for monitoring after dialysis, then he should have shifted to a private room.

Was this done? No.

Why wasn’t this done? Because I never requested and urged the attending doctors to do so. As a result, daddy had to stay alone for 22 hours daily in the constricting confines of an ICU with no known face coming in front of him to assure him that everything was fine.

Visitors were allowed one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening. This is how much time we got to spend with daddy when he was in the ICU.

Daddy was well aware of his surroundings in the ICU. He was adequately alert, he was talking and yet, not even once it came to my mind to question why he continued to stay in the ICU after a maximum stay of 24 hours.

Staying alone for so many hours and days in the ICU can negatively impact a normal person, forget what it would do to an 80-year-old patient undergoing dialysis and suffering weakness and yet sufficiently alert.

I feel that all this loneliness and resulting thoughts that daddy would have had was a big factor that negatively impacted my father’s health. Other patients in the ICU were mostly unconscious or barely conscious, but daddy was alert and conscious there. Whenever I came to visit him in the ICU, he would say in an angry tone, “Kaha chale jaate ho tum?” I would tell him that I am outside, in the hospital only.

Then he forced me to write down my mobile number on a piece of paper that he kept somewhere near him. I told him my number was already there in his file kept near his bedside. But still, he wanted my number. Later, once, he even managed to talk to me using the phone of a nursing staff in the ICU.

He did say once in the ICU, “Yahan koi kisi ko poochhta nahi hai.” That was an extreme statement, as the nursing staff did their duty of feeding him, administering medicines to him and taking care of his hygiene. But through this statement, he was essentially saying, “Don’t leave me alone here, take me out of here.”

But did I do that? Did I request the doctors to shift my father from the ICU quickly? My answer, “No”.

This answer ‘No’ and many other such indecisions continue to swim in front of my consciousness at times even now. As this happens, I get angry, clench my fist and then quietly say to myself now, “Relax, it’s maslahat. Yahi maslahat hai.” This helps bring down my level of anger and regret and I begin to open my clenched fists.

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Maslahat brings down my tension level.

Maybe, if I could have done all those things that I now regret not doing, not saying or not thinking, daddy’s heath would have been better. He would be here with us today. But, it’s really a big ‘MAYBE’.

Because I have no idea whether anything I could have done at that time, which I now think I should have done - would have helped. Probably something else would have come up, some other health challenge, that would have deteriorated my father’s health.

Daddy was not sleeping well in the hospital. He was just tossing and turning in bed, or regularly asking me to help him get up and sit on the bed. He just did not feel comfortable lying on the bed.

Now that I think, all these symptoms and more were signs that his departure time from this world was coming. We didn’t understand this, neither did he.

So, now what am I left with in my mind? A numbness and a level of realisation that ‘it’s maslahat’, ‘yahi maslahat hai.’

This is what I am now accepting mentally, my brother is also accepting it, as well as my mother and my brother’s wife. We were all in my father’s bedroom, when he took his last breath in this world and went away quietly into the next world.

‘Maslahat’ seems to have brought down my anxiety level. Any tension I had related to my father’s passing away into the afterlife has gone down. What has helped in another way is the fact that after his inteqaal on April 6, 2025, daddy has appeared in the dreams of four people, looking strong and healthy. I have talked about these dreams in my Hindi article, which you can also read.

Probably the dreams are a message from daddy’s soul telling us from the afterlife that he is fine and with people who love him.

What will be, will be is what counts now.

What will be, will be and it seems nothing can change it. Now I always keep it in my mind before attempting to do anything, that whether the result I want will come to me, or not, it will be ‘maslahat’.

All I can do is put in whatever effort I can, request for divine guidance to take the right decision at the right time and channel whatever thoughts I have into my effort. My next step? Just be an observer of the result.

The result is not in my hand, I tell myself. Whatever will be, will be.

It’s all maslahat.

Khwab (sapna) bhi kya cheez hai. Ek aisi cheez jahan kucch bhi ho sakta hai, sab kucch mumkin hai.

Ham sab khwab dekhte hain, lekin zaruri nahi ki ham sab dekhe gaye khwab ko yaad bhi rakhein. Ham mein se zyadatar log raat ko so jaate hain, kucch khwab dekhte hain, phir subah utthte hain aur agle tees second tak hi kucch halki yaadein rehti hain kisi khwab ki aur uske baad? Sab saaf.

Aapke subah utthne ke tees second baad agar main aap se poochhunga ki kya khwab dekha, toh aapka jawab hoga, “kucch nahin”.

Zyadatar logon ka yahi jawab hoga aur phir aap apni us din ki zindagi ki shuruaat karne mein masroof (busy) ho jaate hain. Ab khwab to aakhir khwab hi hote hain na, sirf ek sapna. Ab sapna ya kisi khwab par kya tawajjo (dhyaan) di jaaye.

Bhai, yahan agla din shuru ho gaya hai, uske masle-masail (challenges) saamne hain, phone bajna shuru ho gaya hai, WhatsApp par pata nahin kitne messages aa chuke hain. Ab insaan in sabko apni tawajjo de ya kisi sard mausam ke kohre jaise khwab par zor daale ki kya dekha aur kyon dekha? Ye toh aaj ke hadd darje ke masroof (busy) insaan (aap aur main) — ham sabke saath nainsaafi hogi.

Kahan wo udte dhuein jaise halke khwab aur kahan aaj ki zindagi ke bhaari masle jo moonh khole hamare saamne khade hain aur chilla rahe ki, “kucch do hamein warna ham tumhe nigal jayenge”.

Ab zimmedariyon ke bojh tale daba hua insaan kya kare? Un chillate hue maslon ko hi kucch khuraak (niwala) deta hai, taaki unka moonh toh band ho aur insaan ko kucch chain toh miley. Yahi toh insaan kar raha har roz. Ab yahan aap chaah rahe hain ki wo apne khwabon par bhi kucch tawajjo de, toh ye zyaadti hogi.

Lekin main khwabon ke baare mein kyun itna bol raha hoon? Kya wajah hai?

Wajah toh hai aur us wajah ka naam hai Janab Syed Gulam Hasnain Naqvi marhoom (Lt Col SGH Naqvi) Ibne Syed Mohammad Salman Naqvi marhoom. Ji haan, main apne walid sahab ki hi baat kar raha hoon. Aap mein se kai log unke chaliswein ki majlis mein shareek hue hain May 12, 2025 ko Lucknow mein.

Mere walid sahab ka inteqaal April 6, 2025 ko hua Lucknow mein, apne ghar mein, aur usi din unki rooh ka inteqaal hua Aalam-e-Barzakh ki taraf.

Ji, maine sahi kaha hai ki unki rooh ka inteqaal hua hai. Baraa-e-meherbani aap ye mat soch baithiyega ki inteqaal ka matlab hota hai ‘maut’. Maut ke mayne duniya ghabrakar samajhti hai ‘sab khatam’, ‘the end’, ‘ab kucch bacha nahin hai’ ya ‘ab kya hoga’.

Ye toh kareeb das din pehle hi mujhe pata chala ki ‘inteqaal’ ka matlab ‘maut’ nahi hota hai, balki iska matlab hota hai ‘transfer’. Transfer matlab kisi cheez ko ek jagah se dusri jagah le jana. Yani mere walid sahab ka asal mein transfer hua hai. Kaise?

Abhi batata hoon.

Inteqaal ke baad mere walid sahab ka jism ham unke ghar se lekar gaye Imdad Husain Khan Karbala, Rajajipuram mein. Wahin ghusl hua, jism ko nehlaya gaya, paak kiya gaya.

Main ghuslkhane mein maujood ttha aur mere saamne hi ghusl diya gaya. Ab choonki maine daddy ki body ko inteqaal ke baad chhua tha toh mujh par bhi ghusl wajib tha (zaruri tha). Toh maine waha ke ghassalon (ghusl dene wale) se kaha ki mujhe bhi ghusl karna hai toh kya kiya jaaye? Kya main ab aas paas ke kisi jaan ne wale ke ghar jaakar ghusl karoo toh daddy ko chhodkar jaana hoga toh ismein time nahi lagega? Toh ghassalo ne fauran kaha ki, “aap yahi ghusl kar lijiye.” Main thoda surprise ho gaya aur tajjub bhi hua. Maine phir poochha, “koi problem toh nahi hai ismein?” Ghassalon ne kaha koi problem nahi. Phir maine wahi ghusl bhi kar liya.

Uske baad ghuslkhaane se kandhaa dete hue ham sab log daddy ki body ko unki kabr tak le aaye. Ab qabr ke andar jaane ke liye main taiyyar ho raha tha, andar jaane hi wala tha ki ek maulana ne mujhe tok diya.

Inhi maulana sahab ne namaz-e-janaza bhi padayi thi daddy ki kucch der pehle. Maulana ne kaha ki “agar aur log hain janaze mein toh bete ka kabr mein jaana sahi nahi hoga.” Exact lafz aur words abhi nahi yaad hain ki Maulana ne kya kaha tha, lekin unhone ye baat kahi aur maine unki baat maan li aur peechhe hat gaya.

Is baat ka mujhe afsos rahega, gussa rahega ki kaise maine maulana ki baat maan li. Unki baat ko nazar andaaz kyu nahi kiya.

Jab har jagah main daddy ke saath tha toh unke aakhri waqt, unki kabr me bhi mujhe hona hi chahiye tha unke saath.

Ab mere paas sahara bas ek lafz (word) ka hai jo hai ‘maslahat’ (allah ki marzi). Maslahat ka maine apne pehle article mein zikr kiya hai. Shayad ye maslahat rahi hogi ki main apne walid sahab ki kabr mein nahi utroo.

Waise inhi maulana sahab ne mujhe tab bhi toka tha jab main ghuslkhaane ke andar jaakar baith gaya tha aur walid sahab ki body ka ghusl shuru hone wala tha. Unhone bahut kaha ki main baahar aa jaaoo, ghassal kar lenge apna kaam achche se, koi problem nahi hogi. Tab maine unko seedha sa jawab diya tha ki “main har jagah daddy ke saath raha hoo, yaha bhi main saath mein hi rehna chahunga.” Meri body language ko dekh kar maulana ko samajh aa gaya tha ki aur kucch bolne se koi fayda nahi hai aur wo chale gaye.

Yahi baat mujhe kaat ti hai jab sochta hoo ki ek jagah jab un maulana sahab ki baat ko nazar andaz kar diya ttha toh unki kahi gayi kabr wali baat ko kaise maan liya maine.

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Khair, toh baat ho rahi thi inteqaal ki, transfer ki.

Toh daddy ka jism ham logon ne transfer kar diya tha unke ghar se karbala. Ab baaki thi unki rooh. Toh ab main ye batana chaah raha ki unki rooh ka bhi transfer (inteqaal) usi din April 6 ko hua tha unke ghar se. Unki rooh ka transfer is duniya se ek doosri duniya mein ho gaya.

Bas ab ismein ilaahi nizaam (allah ka system) ye hai ki walid sahab ki rooh unke jism se nikal ke pahuch gayi ‘Alam-e-Barzakh’ mein. Yahi wo jagah hai jahan sab roohein rahengi, qayaam karengi, jab tak qayamat nahi aa jaati. Yahi ilaahi nizam hai jo kai hazaar saalon se chala aa raha hai.

Ab wapas aa jaata hoon khwab par aur apne walid sahab par.

Waise abhi yaad aaya inteqaal ki baat se, ki walid sahab army mein thhe aur saal 1996 mein retire hue tthe. Is beech unki kareeban untis (29) saal ki military service mein walid sahab ka kai baar transfer hua ttha, ek shaher se doosre shaher. Ye bhi ek alag tarah ki zehmat tthi, ki ek jagah se poora rishta khatam karke, samaan uttha ke nikal pado kisi naye shaher mein jaise hi ‘transfer order’ aa jaaye.

Toh ab yahan aap jaan na chahenge ki mere walid sahab ka kya taalluk ya connection baith raha hai khwabon se? Kya raabta ban raha hai khwabon ki duniya se unka? Aakhir majra kya hai?

Ji, bilkul. Abhi samjhata hoo. Hua ye hai ki jab se daddy ka inteqaal hua hai April 6, 2025 ko, mere walid sahab chaar logon ke khwab mein aa chuke hain aaj ki date May 18, 2025 tak. Unhone apni roohani maujudgi ki dastak de di hai.

Ye chaar log kaun hain jinhone daddy ko apne khwab mein dekh liya hai ab tak?

1. Pehla shaqs ‘main’ (unka bada beta)

2. Dusra shaqs (hamare ghar ka driver)

3. Teesra shaqs (rishte mein mere ek mamu)

4. Chautha shaqs (rishte mein meri ek khala)

Ham chaaron ne daddy ko apne khwab mein dekh liya hai.

Ittefaaq ki baat dekhiye ki mere mamu aur meri khala (dono bhai-behen hain), dono ko ek hi din (May 17, 2025) ko mere walid sahab dikhai de gaye unke khwab mein.

Agar aap mein se kisi ke khwab mein daddy dikhai diye hain (inteqaal ke baad) ya aane wale dino mein dikhai dein, to mujhe zarur bata dijiyega.

Sabse pehle apne khwab ki baat karoo. Maine daddy ko dekha ki wo apne kamre mein lete hue hain, meri taraf peeth karke, bas ek chhota se lamp jal raha hai, main bhi usi kamre mein leta hua hoo. Daddy ne lungi aur koi t-shirt pehni hui hai.

Pehli cheez jo maine note ki wo ye ki maine dekha ki daddy ka pate (stomach) andar hai, bahar bilkul nahi hai, matlab wo slim dikh rahe tthe. Dusri cheez jo maine note ki wo ye ki unke baal kaale hain aur ek accha sa haircut ho rakha hai. Wo sukoon se so rahe hain.

Yahan ye batata chaloo ki inteqaal se chhah (6) mahine pehle se, raat ko, sone ke time par jab wo apne kamre mein jaate tthe, toh mujhse kehte tthe, “Tumhara time nahi hua abhi sone ka? Chalo, aao leto. Tum let jaate ho to mujhe bhi neend sahi aati hai.”

Aaj bhi jab unke kamre mein let ta hoo, toh yahi ummeed karta hoo ki wo jahan honge toh agar neend wali kaifiyat (quality) Alam-e-Barzakh mein hoti hai rooh ke paas, toh waha bhi daddy ko neend sahi aati hogi.

Dusre shaqs hain hamare driver jinhone daddy ko khwab mein dekha. Usne dekha ki wo apne kursi par baittha hai hamare ghar ke gate ke andar wale area mein. Phir daddy ghar ke andar se aaye aur unhone kucch daant te hue kaha, “Tum oongh rahe ho baithhe-baitthe?” toh driver ne phat se bola ki, “Kahan oongh rahe hain” aur uski aankh khul gayi. Ye baat driver ne jab agli subah hamein batai to uski aankhon mein aansu tthe.

Teesre shaqs hain rishte mein mere ek mamu jinhone daddy ko khwab mein dekha. Unhone apne khwab mein dekha ki unke marhoom walid sahab, unke marhoom chacha aur mere daddy Nakhas (Lucknow) ke chaurahe par phoolon ke sehre haath mein liye baithhe hue hain. Daddy kaale rang ka kurta pehne hue tthe. Wo unke paas gaye aur poochha ki, “Aap yahan?” Toh un sabne jawab diya ki wo chehlum ke juloos ka intezaar kar rahe hain aur aane wale alamon par sehre daalenge.

Ye bhi ek ittefaq dekhiye ki May 12 ko daddy ke chehlum ki majlis hui thi aur uske chaar din baad hi daddy dikhayi de gaye mamu ke khwab mein, Maula ke chehlum ke juloos ka intezaar karte hue.

Chautthe shaqs hain rishte mein meri ek khala jinhone daddy ko khwab mein dekha. Unhone dekha ki unke ghar ke imambade ke aage takht par daddy aasmani rang ka kurta pehne hue baitthe hain. Daddy ke paas ek shayar ‘Aamir Uttraulvi’ khade hain aur daddy ka mobile unke haath mein hai aur wo mobile par koi mehfil sun rahe hain. Saamne nazr ka dastarkhwan saja hua hai aur nazr hone ja rahi hai. Tabhi daddy ne mujhe aawaz di, “Raju ko bulao.” Main paas hi ke kamre mein apne ek dusre mamu se baat kar raha ttha. Meri ammi bhi daddy ke paas khadi hui hain.

Ab ye sochiye ki ek hi din mein daddy, do rang ke kurto mein, do logon ko khwab mein dikhai de gaye.

Ab aapko ek aur khwab jo maine dekha hai wo bhi batata chaloo. Do din pehle mujhe apne dada bhi dikhai de gaye khwab mein. Yaani mere daddy ke daddy bhi mere saath thhe us khwab mein. Maine dekha ki main aur dada ek cinema hall mein baithe hue hain. Saamne screen par kucch chal raha hai, uski aawaz aa rahi hai. Phir achanak mere dada soz padhne lage. Soz shok mein padha jaata hai gehri bhawna se, jismein Karbala ke shaheedo aur Karbala ke ghamgeen (sad) waqeye (happening) ko yaad kiya jaata hai.

Jab dada soz padhne lage to main bhi unke saath hi baitha hua ttha. Maine dekha ki dada ne wahi brown colour ki do-palli topi pehni hui hai jo mujhe yaad thi apne bachpan se. Jab unhone soz padhna shuru kiya to main bhi soz padhne laga unke saath. Dheere-dheere soz ki aawaz tez hoti gai aur saamne screen par jo bhi chal raha ttha uski aawaz kam hoti gai. Tabhi mere mobile phone ki ghanti baj gayi. Maine aankhein khol di aur is duniya mein wapas aa gaya.

Toh ye sab khwab thhe jo dekhe gaye aur jinmein mere walid sahab bhi dikhe. In sab khwabon se ham logon ko kucch sukoon mila hai, kucch haunsla mila hai.

Ab daddy ki rooh seedhe taur par toh hamse baat nahi kar rahi, lekin in khwabon ke zariye shayad daddy ne apne roohani wujood ko hamare saamne zaahir karne ki koshish ki hai.

In khwabon se shayad wo ham logon ko ye baat batane ki koshish kar rahe hain ki wo khairiyat se hain aur apne chaahnewalo ke beech mein hain Alam-e-Barzakh mein.

Shukran-allah.

Maslahat aakhir kya hai? Allah ki marzi, uski masshiyat, jo wo chaahe wahi hoga, jo insaan chahega ye zaruri nahi ki wo poori hogi baat. Yahi toh hai na maslahat?

Phir kya hoga?

Hoga ye aakhir mein ki jo hua wahi hona ttha. Agar kucch aur hona hota toh wo hota, matlab jo ab aap sochte hain agar wo ho jaata, toh kya badhiya baat hoti. Lekin wo toh nahi hui na.

Aapne kitna chaaha ki wahi ho jo aap chaahte hain kyunki usse aapko bahut achha lagta. Lekin aakhir kya hua? Kuchh aur.

Matlab maslahat wo hai ki jo hoga wo allah miya chahenge, jo nahi hona hai wo bhi allah miya ki marzi.

Maslahat se hota kya hai? Pata nahi.

Lekin ye ek lafz aisa hai ki ismein ek badi quwwat (taaqat, strength) hai. Kaisi quwwat?

Ye lafz ‘maslahat’ batata hai ki kisi aur ki hasti hai jo hamari zindagi ko dekh-samajh rahi hai. Ye ek aisa wujood (existence) hai jo hamare oopar nazar rakhe hue hai.

Insaan kya soch raha hai aur phir us soch se kya amal (action) kar raha hai aur us amal se yahi insaan kya chaahta hai — ye sab us wujood ya hasti ko pata hai.

Ab sochne wali baat ye hai ki jab us hasti ko pata hai ki insaan kisi manchaahe nateeje ke liye itni justujoo kar raha hai, toh kyu nahi wo nateeja us insaan ko mil jaata?

Arey bhai, itni mehnat-mashaqqat kar raha hai har insaan ki usey ye mil jaaye, wo mil jaaye, aisa ho jaaye, waisa ho jaaye, toh mil jaana chahiye insaan ko wo sab. Kya milta hai wo nateeja? Nahi.

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Itni daud-bhaag, sar-dard, jism-dard, tamaam tarah ke tanaav aur kasheedgi (tension) ko jhelne ke baad bhi, insaan ka haath khali reh jaata hai. Wo manchaaha nateeja ussey meelon door rehta hai, uske aaspass phatakta bhi nahi hai. Insaan sannaate mein reh jaata hai.

Ab kya karey bechara insaan? Roye-dhoye, dusron ko dosh de, dusron par aarop madhe, apne ko dosh de aur apni kamiya nikale. Yahi insaan ye bhi kar sakta hai ki apne mann mein bechaini ko ghar banane de aur us ghar mein wo roz daakhil ho (enter kare) taaki bechaini aur bada ghar banane lage insaan ke zehen mein, uske mann mein.

Ye sab insaan kar sakta hai aur karta hi hai, kyunki usey sukoon nahi mil raha hai na. Insaan toh sukoon chaahta hai aur usey lagta hai ki sukoon tab milega usey jab usko manchaaha nateeja milega apni justujoo se.

Lekin ho kya raha hai? Sab kucch ulta. Kuchh sahi nahi ho raha hai. Yahi sab insaan dekh-samajh raha hai, soch raha hai aur issey uska tanaav badhta ja raha hai, uska mizaaj badalta ja raha hai.

Us insaan ko ab kucch achcha nahi lag raha. Usko ab agla minute, agla ghanta aur agla din bhi bitaana mushkil lag raha hai. Aisa kyu? Kyunki uski justuju ka manchaaha nateeja nahi mil raha hai na.

Ab bechara insaan ek aise mod par aakar khada ho gaya hai, ki usko do hi raaste dikh rahe hain. Ya toh apna haath malta rahe ki uske haath mein uska manchaaha nateeja nahi aaya, ya wo maslahat ka raasta ikhtiyaar (chun) kar le.

Dono raaste us insaan ke liye khule hain. Wo koi bhi raasta chun sakta hai.

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